How to Dress for Cycling

Cycling apparel has become just as technical and specialized as the shiny bikes that line the floors of shops. Just as importantly—since we are talking about clothes here—the range of available clothing now includes lots of casual styles and options which keep you comfortable, dry and protected without wrapping you in spandex.

Compared to riding in street clothes, even the most casually styled cycling-specific apparel offers huge advantages in several key ways: it pads and protects the contact points (hands, feet, butt) where your body meets the bicycle, it transfers sweat away from your skin keeping you cooler and drier, and it moves with your body to prevent chafing.

Just as when you bought your bike, you should ask yourself how much you plan to ride and what type of riding you plan to do before you pull out the credit card for a spanky new cycling outfit. Just about all cycling apparel, be it baggy or tight, winter warm or summer cool, is available at price points from basic to luxurious to fit your budget.

It goes without saying that you need to invest in a good helmet. Statistics indicate that 80 per cent of all cycling deaths are caused by head injury and that a good helmet can prevent up to 85 per cent of cycling head injuries. Wear a helmet.

Riding to Work and Around Town

City riders and commuters can thank mountain bikers for the development of cycling apparel which combines a casual look with technical features. Here’s a quick look at some essential pieces that will make your ride around town or to work more comfortable.

Step one: Shorts and Gloves.
	The two most important contact points between you and your bike are where your behind meets the saddle, and where your hands meet the handlebars. There are a wide variety of shorts which conceal a padded lycra liner inside a baggy exterior. The extra padding (we call it a “chamois”) will aid comfort and the stretchy shape will prevent chafing. Gloves help prevent hand fatigue and those calluses that make you look like a lumberjack. In addition, in the unfortunate event of a tumble, your hands are usually the first thing to hit the ground and gloves can prevent painful and inconvenient hand abrasions.

Did you know that cotton holds seven times its weight in moisture. Mountaineers say that “cotton kills” because that moisture can chill against your skin and make it impossible to warm up. In summer, that moisture will actually prevent you from cooling down since it is only the evaporation of sweat which produces cooling and cotton releases water very slowly.

Hopefully you’re convinced now that they next thing you need to add to your cycling wardrobe is a technical tee or jersey (and I haven’t even mentioned the chafing of wet garments!). Modern wicking, breathable fabrics will pull sweat off your skin to keep you dry and comfortable.

The jersey helps keep you from getting wet and uncomfortable from the inside out and a good cycling jacket can prevent the same from happening but from the outside in. Most Canadians have a Gore-Tex jacket hiding around their house somewhere, and in a pinch, any will keep the rain and wind out on a bike ride. The problem with multi-purpose jackets is that they are designed to be worn for much lower exertion activities like walking and they are overbuilt for biking. A jacket built specifically for cycling will keep you dry without overheating as it usually has large vents and lots of reflectivity for safety.

Step 3: Shoes.

You apply lots of force through the soles of your feet onto your pedals, especially when you stand up to pedal. At minimum, you should make sure that you wear running shoes with good solid soles but stiff soled cycling shoes are the best solution to prevent discomfort and possible numbness from wearing non-specific footwear.

More Hints: Wear something bright or reflective . . . Don’t wear underwear under your cycling shorts, it can cause chafing . . . don’t wear cotton socks!!

Freeriding/DH Mountain Biking

Yeah, I know tons of the freeride dudes in the magazines are wearing jeans, tee-shirts and hoodies, but it’s a good thing that you’re too smart to fall for that fashion, eh?

DH and freeriding clothing places a high priority on crash and impact resistance and try to balance those necessities with adequate ventilation and shapes which allow for the use of armour and pads when appropriate.

Generally DH/FR apparel is cut a little looser, not just because it’s the cool way to look but because it also allows for the use of armour under the clothes—everything from basic arm and leg guards to full-body moto style armour for pure DH action. At the same time, it tends to be constructed of ballistic fabrics which are much more impact and abrasion-resistant.

When you pick clothing for this type of riding, consider how much pedalling your search for gravity is going to include. The less you plan to pedal, likely the more DH-specific your bike will be, the bigger obstacles you’ll be tacking and the more protective your clothing should be. Likewise, a whole lot of pedalling might suggest that you should be riding in somewhat lighter gear which still offers protection for the ride down.

Some tricks of the trade for this kind of riding include using a tight-fitting base layer underneath your armour to transfer sweat off your skin and keep you more comfortable. Likewise, you can throw a padded lycra short under the new generation of baggy shorts will make the time you spend sitting more comfortable while protecting you from the less skin-friendly surfaces of the ballistic fabrics.

And of course wear a full-face helmet if you’re going to be hitting the DH sections hard. There’s a reason that pro DH racers must wear full-faces in competition . . . and it’s not their parents. There are reasonably-priced full-face options out there and you pay more for lighter weight and cooler features, not necessarily more protection. 

The Classic Lycra Look

There is no doubt that sleek and form-fitting clothes still offer the highest performance options for cycling. They are more aerodynamic, by sitting close to the skin they transfer sweat off your body faster, and they move more easily with your body to make chafing almost a non-factor. Plus they offer the chance to look like you’re rolling up to the start line of a Euro road race or World Cup MTB race.

Though from afar, black shorts and classic jerseys may all look the same, there’s a reason why shorts vary from $50 to $300 and jerseys come at different price points, too. Here’s a quick rundown of some tips, trick and things to look for when you buy traditional cycling apparel.

Shorts: They’re not basic blacks anymore--modern chamois and construction technologies can make the once-humble black short a marvel of engineering and materials. There are some simple things you can look for in a short:

• The more panels, the better. Using more, smaller panels in constructing a short allow for a more ergonomic cut
• Two needles are better than one: Flatlock stitching is done on a machine with two needles and allows for a more comfortable, chafe-free cut than conventional single-needle seams
• Bibs are the best. There’s a reason why all the pro riders wear bib shorts. They need to be adjusted far less frequently while riding and, since they have no waist elastic, there’s nothing to bind.

Jerseys & Tops: At first glance, there seems to be little that differentiates many jerseys other than colour, there are still options to work through. Here are some tips:

• Longer zippers are better. You can’t change the weather but a long zipper allows you to vent on the climbs and then cover up on the decents.
• Check the cut. Jerseys with raglan (baseball cut) sleeves cost a few bucks more but sit much smoother from sleeves to neck.
• Wear a base. Until the temperature cracks the 20+ degree mark, you should always wear a tight-fitting technical base layer under your jerseys. They provide the best way to get sweat off your skin to better regulate your temperature

Extras:

• Arm warmers, knee warmers and leg warmers add convertible coverage to any basic shorts and jersey combo and stash easily in a back pocket.
• Forget Gore-Tex and those old-school clear plastic greenhouses. There are some amazing technical fabrics available that make rain and wind jackets stretchy, breathable and packable.
• Shoe covers help protect your feet from cold and your pricey shoes from road and trail junk